| abstract |
A bio-compatible material which has a microstructure that is amenable to infiltration by living cells and which can support substantial and extended occupation by such living cells. In an embodiment, the bio-compatible material comprises a biopolymer, such as collagen. In another embodiment of the invention, the bio-compatible material is injectable (i.e., it can be applied percutaneously or internally by way of injection through a syringe needle). In a particularly advantageous embodiment, a fibrous bio-compatible material comprises a linearly assembled biopolymer fiber, which is assembled from biopolymer fibrils whose axes are substantially parallel with the axis of said biopolymer fiber. |